A bit over a month ago, we heard that Chromebooks might be getting SMS notification support via something called SMS Connect, which was exciting news. The folks over at Chrome Unboxed, who initially discovered this coming functionality, just found a bit more information on the subject. Not only will we be able to see when we get an SMS, but we might even be able to read and reply to them, all from the comfort of your Chromebook.

Details are light, and to be quite clear, this not something you can do right now. But, it sounds fantastic. While it doesn't quite bring us the experience of something like iMessage — it's a lot more like how Pushbullet Pro handles SMS than anything else — at least it's a step in the right direction. Granted, with Pushbullet, or Google Voice/Hangouts, or Pulse you can replicate this functionality now, but it isn't built in.

The clearest evidence for this upcoming feature is via text attached to a single commit, which describes a future option in the Chrome OS settings menu for SMS Connect. It states:

Description of for the 'SMS Connect' setting. This feature lets the user read and reply to text messages from their Chromebook. New text messages will appear as notifications....Read and reply to text messages on your Chromebook

Chrome Unboxed claims other commits point to SMS Connect being part of a "multidevice" flag tied to a new DeviceSync API. That API, as the name suggests, is apparently meant to sync devices through your Google account. And, presumably, that might include SMS and its resulting notifications at some level

Again, there isn't a lot of information, so we aren't entirely sure about all the details of how this system might work. While the feature is obviously planned, a lot of the particulars behind it are still missing, and there's no word on when it might land.

Comments

The best idea I personally think would work
Make Android messages the default client
Send it to the oems and let them skin it and add whatever to it (Samsung's lift to call, or split screen)
Then the oems can make it their own but it's the same client among the whole Android ecosystem

That's a smart idea. But I would prefer some continuity. I think them looking radically different defeats the purpose. I think the looks (green bubble, blue bubble) is more important than you think and makes it more iconic.

Aaron

Samsung doesn't operate that way.

Nana Adu-Krow

Ehh well at the very least that's part of the whole RCS push. Device makers can opt in to include messages as the default. The bigger ones can create their own as long as they adhere to the new Universal Profile standard moving forward.

Christopher Bement

Good, they're trash. SMS is also trash.

MJ

What? No it doesn't... Google can just make one and people can install it. A proper messaging app that competes with iMessage just needs SMS support which everyone can use.

This guy gets it. iMessage works because no one has the option to choose anything else therefore everyone has it and uses it.

We could have a similar experience but as you can see, there's no way we all would choose to use the same messenger unless we were forced to.

someone755

They could shoehorn it into the Play Services, and prevent OEMs from installing other messaging apps by default.
Availability isn't an excuse. This is Google.

VAVAMk_2

I dunno man those stickers are pretty ground breaking...

Besnik Rrustemi

And that's what also google should do.
Only that way when everyone is forced to use it as default messaging app they will learn what features should they add and polish it like iMessage is today.

Drmodify

Google allo coming to my mind based on your statement

MJ

Huh?

Drmodify

"Google can just make one and people can install it. A proper messaging app that competes with iMessage just needs SMS support which everyone can use."

MJ

Yes, Allo would work if it had SMS support.

Nana Adu-Krow

But that's the point if you want sms capabilities. That's where Android Messages is supposed to fill. Besides iMessage device-2-device capabilities what are you missing that's not in the works? sms connect sounds like it'll fill in the rest of what people are looking for from an iMessage comp.

MJ

What? We are talking about an iMessage equivalent. We want one app for messages. SMS connect is garage.

Nana Adu-Krow

Right and I'm saying that android messages is meant to serve as it's equivalent. For parity on features that's where RCS and sms Connect is supposed to step in.

MJ

I don't know why you keep saying that... It's a Pushbullet like solution that only works in Chrome. That's not close...

Nana Adu-Krow

Yup Pushbullet like solution is probably what they're moving too. You're not going to have Hangouts and sms (unless you have project fi which I'm sure will be moved eventually)

MJ

Yes, I have Project Fi but Hangouts will not be available for long.

Duder Comments

It would not. Google could just do it on the Pixel line but that may create friction at the worst time (they are trying to butter up carriers right now and not piss them off).

I think they should. They should just focus on giving the superior 2.0 android experience to Pixel and give everyone else crap.

thereasoner

Aren't carriers, with Google as a central hub, in the process of changing over their own messaging services to iMessage like RCS capabilities anyways? One of 3 major carriers here have started the roll out already.

Mark Curtis

Patents

John Doe

What patents?

Xman332

Universal profile for RCS. Check it out sometime.

YuCMi

Incompetence.

keithzg

They'd rather half-create 6 of them.

C64

Why would we want ANOTHER messager app?

EowynCarter

Because it's useless. What's needed is google and Apple working together on a common solution.

pn0

How is iMessage even competitive? It's Apple only, therefore limited. I'm not even sure why it is even mentioned. There are a hundred ways to send and receive SMS on Chromebook (and Android). And of course, you can send and receive all the other protocols that matter, namely Signal, WhatsApp, Facebook. SMS is "just another app". But aren't limited to a single platform.

I want to see the messaging platforms collapse to some baseline standards. Signal is probably the best starting point. Then if you want to add your proprietary bs later in top of that, go for it.

iMessage is just as limited in usage as all the rest, but even more so, it's Apple only.

YaKillaCJ

There's a big flaw in your statement. Theirs already is already a baseline standard that works across ALL carriers worldwide, SMS. Sms is not just another App in the sense of the public.

Yes the demand for a higher standard exist. But if any App or new standard wants to be widely excepted, it needs to be backwards compatibility with devices that can't upgrade/adopt the new app.

pn0

But there is a big flaw in your argument. SMS isn't their standard. SMS works on all platforms, with all carriers, and is horribly insecure. It existed before smartphones existed. Chromebooks are not without sms clients and they have access to clients far more universal than iMessage. iMessage is merely one of the many many apps that implementing it.

YaKillaCJ

I want saying that iMessage was or should be a new standard. Nor did I say that SMS was a good 1 compared to the tech that exist today. My point is that if any new standard wants a chance at actually becoming widely adopted, it needs to be compatible with the current existing standard (sms).

Ideally it would be RCS. Google had a huge opportunity to push it with Allo has they included SMS fallback but they clearly don't always make the smartest moves. That said if Microsoft and Google decided to work together making it default across Desktop and Mobile OSs, it would force everyone else hand including Apple who accounts for the other 15% of modern devices at best.

VAVAMk_2

They do...just download on PC and phone: Android Messages, Hangouts Meet, Hangouts, Allo, Duo, Google Talk, and any others I may have forgotten and you pretty much have an identical experience. /S

YaKillaCJ

They had the perfect opportunity with Allo except they left out the SMS part. Especially being how well accepted Duo is (even among iOS users). But naa, that would be too smart.

MJ

Chromebooks? OK, but what about SMS support in Gmail (outside of Hangouts with Project Fi) and/or Allo?

Ryne Hager

I hope we see it with Allo someday, that would be really nice.

I just told my girlfriend about this and even her first reaction was "that's great, but I still need two apps now to use Hangouts and SMS?" If even a non-technical person gets riled up about that, it's telling.

What I'm thinking will be next after ChromeOS is potentially making it available via the Chrome browser.

MJ

Who cares? I don't something that only works in one browser.

Nana Adu-Krow

Then there's other options you can use if android messages doesn't fit the bill for you?

MJ

Yes, Hangouts but that is going away so Google needs a replacement.

Nana Adu-Krow

Cool but you're not getting Hangouts as it currently stands. You can either use Allo Android messages or a 3rd party. Sms isn't coming to Gmail or anything like that. It's most likely going to live as an extension.

MJ

I understand what I want is not available right now beyond Hangouts which is being phased out. That's what we are talking about a replacement. Google's different app/solution for each messaging type (SMS, video, IM) is a failure. I can do SMS via Gmail RIGHT NOW. Again, we are talking about a replacement for Hangouts that is more iMessage like. I am pretty sure you don't work for Google is please stop making future plan announcements for them. LOL

I think we are done here but thanks for your input.

Nana Adu-Krow

Cool so your answer is to tell me I don't work for Google and I should stop talking? Never said I worked for them. Simply made predictions. Its also clear you don't see the business value in creating apps dedicated to serving specific audiences. Scream at the top of your lungs for a sms replacement for Hangouts but you're most likely not going to get that on a parity level.

It's pretty clear what their messaging strategy is shaping to look like. At least for now.

Hopefully this becomes available on Chrome without the book. Even better would be an extension for all major web browsers, especially Pale Moon.

Mace Moneta

Google Voice/Hangouts lets you send/receive SMS from Chromebooks, or desktop.

Duder Comments

IF you port your number to Google Voice or Project Fi.

This is for any carrier. Completely different.

Mace Moneta

We never gave out our actual cell number, only Google Voice number. That way never have to port, and all the additional functionality is always available.

Duder Comments

Then you are replying from a Google Voice number. You are not replying from your native carrier number.

This is so people can send messages on a laptop with their native number from Verizon, etc. Like I said. Completely different.

Mace Moneta

Since no one knows my native carrier number (it's changed over the years), they wouldn't recognize a message from that number.

Duder Comments

Most people want to send messages from a known number. Your situation is not the norm.

Mace Moneta

I am sending a message from a known number - my Google Voice number.

disqusdeeznuts

Yeah! Good for you!

Mace Moneta

What's got your panties in a bunch? Did you invest in the company or something?

disqusdeeznuts

Yeah! Good for you!

nxtiak

I don't understand why people don't understand this. That's the point of Google Voice. You give that number to everyone so that your carrier number does not matter anymore.

Mace Moneta

Exactly. I could change my carrier and cellular number every day, and no one would notice. No porting, you just give Google the new carrier number and... done. Even if you go a while without a cellular carrier, it still works if you have wifi. The least appreciated but best Google service.

ookees

I was a Google Voice user before it was Google Voice. It was called Grand Central. Google bought them and it became Google Voice. I only give out my GV number. Even if people had my carrier number at the time I made them use my GV number. Not a difficult thing. GV has had it's issue over the years but it's growing pains that I have no qualms with I'm getting a free service that makes my life easier. This SMS integration is something us GV users have done for years. I've used it with every major carrier including integrating it with Sprint. Yes Sprint and Google had the Fi style integration years before Fi existed. I can even answer my calls through Hangouts on my computer. I was a Gizmo 5 user too another product Google bought and integrated it into GV. If your not using GV your missing out. Even if Google charged for it I would gladly fork over money.

Sean

Its called Project Fi.....Google it

Sean

Its called Project Fi.....you should Google it.....

Sean

Project Fi.....Google it

keithzg

And Google Voice refused to let me sign up because I live in the wrong half of my province, so :/

Rob

What province dude?

keithzg

Alberta. If the goddamned PCs hadn't pandered to the Calgary vote in their hatred of Edmonton, I would still have had a 403 number and could have signed up for Google Voice due to that odd bug in their system! Yet another thing to blame Ralph Klein for, I guess ;)

Rob

Aha, so you're in Canada, and Google Voice isn't available there (I suppose) but you could get it anyway? How was that, "odd bug" something? ;) I'm from Europe btw so 403 number doesn't mean so much haha, please explain! Is 403 numbers shared between US and Canada or something like that?

keithzg

'Tis an area code. In Euro-style formating, my home number *used* to be +1403####### (actual numbers redacted ;)), nowadays that and my cell number I got originally after that switchover are both +1780#######. That "+1" is for some odd reason common as the country code for both the U.S. and Canada, which is probably at least partially behind the bug, since it means that a Canadian number can look a lot like an American number. The specific thing that happened was that people in Canada who happened to have 403 as their area code were for some reason able to sign up for Google Voice!

Whether this was just a mistake, or some Google engineer secretly making it so his friends back in Calgary could sign up for Google Voice, we may never know ;)

Rob

Aha, thanks for explaining, that's very interesting. I actually knew both Canada and the US had +1 as country code, but I wasn't thinking of it! So what your two countries share is a) country code and b) NORAD, I guess you could say :P

Btw is there a list somewhere of area codes, where you easily could have a look what is a US number and what is a Canadian number? Or could 403 (and other area codes) be shared between places in both countries? What a mess, if the latter is the case.

Last thing to say: In my country, ALL cell numbers start with a certain "area code" (07xxxxxxxx usually). That means you can never see where a cell recipient lives (as you can with most other numbers), you only know it's a cell number. But you can also move and never have to switch numbers. I don't know what's most common, do you think my country's model or your country's model is most widely used in the world? How is it in the US when it comes to cell numbers, is there a fixed "area code" for ALL cell numbers or will it depend on where the cell owner lives what area code you get?

Yes. Until we see implementation or more details, I wouldn't get too excited.

Braden Farmer

Not all that exciting now that Chromebooks can run Android apps. Been using Pulse on my Chromebook Pro since day one.

Ryne Hager

We had a GV/Hangouts mention before in addition to Pushbullet, but it's probably better to bring up Pulse, too, I've tweaked to include a more explicit mention of those services.
Because you're right, you absolutely can replicate the functionality with those services. But this will be native and built-in, which is pretty awesome.

This is a step in the right direction in my opinion. Unfortunately my battle cry to Google and the powers that be will be "Please add native SMS to Allo"
Maybe the reason they will not do it is to keep trying to entice iOS users to use and unfortunately they have no option to use another sms application on their devices besides iMessages. BUT with the flexibility of Android they could give us the option to have native SMS/SMS Fallback in the Allo app or use something else should a user decide they want their SMS separate from Allo.

Sorry to deviate from the article topic with my rant!

keithzg

Allo is too inherently limited, though (can't just fire it up on an Android tablet, for instance). A true iMessage competitor would require working from any Google device . . . like Hangouts does.

I don't know why Google keeps hating every IM solution it creates and creating different ones instead of polishing off and rounding out the ones it has.

Jeffrey Heesch

Pushbullet. I'm sure that's been said a thousand times already, but until we get an official solution, it's the next best thing.

For those of us that have TMobile we can do this today with Digits. I have it running on Chromebook Pixl, Moto, iPad and imac and it works great

Ignacio Nallar

Sincere enquiry: people still use SMS?

Mace Moneta

In the US, SMS is included with pretty much every plan at no additional charge, it doesn't count against your data allotment, and is the lowest common denominator when you don't know what messaging app someone users (it always works if all you have is a phone number).

morrisp

Exactly. A contractor or someone else you contact for a business relationship says "text me" -- and you do. You don't ask, "Uhh, do you use WhatsApp? I'm boycotting SMS..."

He asked for people, not for automatic spam... besides USA, no other country use more SMS than a chat app. Look at comments and try find someone that miss SMS that isnt american

Captain_Invisible

In Scandinavia (were the iPhone is 50/50 or more compared to Android) SMS is the norm. Sure, a lot of people use Messenger a lot with friends, but SMS is still the only messaging service you can expect people to use.

caroline eadie

Also u.k use sms most

Charles222

Right, we'll just pretend the USA isn't a market with 300 million customers.

Why does people in the US embrace this old technology so much and don't want to let it go?

NashGuy

A lot of it probably has to do with the fact that iPhone is more popular here than in many other places, such as Europe, and many iPhone users rely on the default iMessages app, which is not cross-platform. SMS is a standard that will work across both iPhone and Android, regardless of what apps someone has or hasn't opted to install on their phone. The default messaging app on every phone can handle SMS. Among people I know, most use iMessage and others are divided between a number of other apps. I occasionally get a message through Facebook Messenger. But 99.99% of the time, I use SMS.

Cael

Because SMS and Minutes used to be how the carriers made their money. They didn't care about data which was horribly slow so they gave it away unlimitedly for cheap.

Then as the shift to "4G" faster data meant more data consumption so it was limited and charged more. Carriers switched minutes and SMS to an unlimited flat fee

Besides iMessage, there's nothing stopping anyone from using SMS in the US. It's free. It works for people. Google keeps botching their efforts.

Easy. I don't have to download and remember what app this friend or that friends uses. I know that my SMS will get to the person without hassle.

Scott Lewis

Your post kind of answers the question, as I never heard of some of those apps and don't want to install them all. At the end of the day, you can install KakaoTalk, Viber, WhatsaApp, Telegram, WeChat, and maybe some others like GroupMe, Allo, etc. But I can install none of them, and still talk to everybody, since all your phones support SMS.

iMessage layers that with rich messaging services, and sync. I can text from an iPad. I can send rich texts to iOS users. I'm still SMS compatible so I can send messages to people who have any of the apps above without needing them myself.

If Allo did that, and allowed multi sign on, and worked on iOS, Mac, Android and PC through apps, yeah, it'd be better still.

I don't want more than one messaging app to use, and I don't necessarily want to use the one someone else uses.

Nicholas Conrad

If this 'multi-device flag' allows allo on multiple devices too I *might* consider using it.

Yep American here and SMS is the only thing I use. I refuse to download yet another app just to talk with someone. SMS is built into my phone and is hassle free, no wasting time remembering what app this friend or that friend uses. Just text away and be done.

Here, Ios have less then 10% of market... And even they don't use imessage... No one uses SMS for communication.. SMS here is mostly for spam or for validations codes, and even in those never sending something back

morrisp

So if you're communicating with someone new via phone (you have their mobile no.), and they ask you to text them -- how does it work? Do they specify the messaging service to use? (I'm thinking of someone you won't be in long-term contact with, and are simply arranging a transaction; a plumber, etc.)

Rodrigo Gomes da Silva

If you have their number, you can just send a msg by whatsapp that will work... Here (in Brazil) everyone have whatsapp.. they even send justice courts intimations by whatsapp.
Many use prepaid plans that don't have free SMS, but a lot of prepaid plans have limited internet with "free" whatapp (text and audio msgs don't counting in data caps).
I don't remember when was the last time I sent a msg to another person using SMS, but wasn't less than 2 years...

instinct

It would be awesome if everyone used WhatsApp or another program. . If I told my plumber I would message him on WhatsApp, He would ask me what the hell that is. Unfortunately everyone in America still uses SMS.

Disphouf

It doesn't mean you don't have SMS. Here in Europe (and everywhere in the world beside USA), we don't use SMS. But I still receive text code and can send SMS.

This is just strange that because few people have an iPhone, everybody have to use SMS. Even in Europe, people with iPhone doesn't care of SMS, never heard somebody talked about iMessage. It's only because I read AP that's I know it's a thing.

Captain_Invisible

Saying "Europe" is quite a generalization. In Northern Europe, SMS is by far the most normal. I don't know a single person who uses WhatsApp. I mostly use Messenger and Snapchat with my friends, though.

Disphouf

Oh ok, didn't know for Northern Europe (Scandinavian? Coz like Ireland this not really a thing), but is iMessages a thing or nobody care ? I mean, you send SMS without thinking which devices they can have.
I don't use WhatsApp as well, I use Messenger and get SMS in it. I work with people from all over Europe and it's kinda so-so between WhatsApp and Messenger (when comparing with Latin countries where WhatsApp dominate). Of course we will not use SMS as we are outside our countries.

I feel like SMS would be the last thing to think when sending a message, while in US (and few other countries like yours maybe) this is the main thing, maybe that's why so much incomprehension...

Disphouf

They can use WhatsApp, messenger and so many other apps. Don't follow, lead

Sruly J

What if somebody doesn't want to use WhatsApp, Messenger, or some other app?

Disphouf

You can say the same, what if you don't want to use SMS. Of course if it's a beautiful girl I can understand you have to make the effort 😉

Sruly J

Not seeing the connection.

Disphouf

Ok doesn't matter. Just use what your friends use and voila.

morrisp

As an iPhone user, I actually do use WhatsApp to communicate w/my one friend who uses an Android phone... we were having issues with SMS texts not reaching each others' phones (or arriving days later). It's a bit of PITA to have to use a different app just for this one guy; but of course WhatsApp is nicer than SMS, anyway.

If I ever switched back to Android, I would try to use WhatsApp with as many contacts as possible... but I'd be stuck using SMS with the rest of the folks on iPhones. Thus the iMessage "lock-in": not only is iMessage great to use, but you know communication will suffer if you jump to Android.

caroline eadie

I don't want sms to die as I have friends who are technophob's so sms is the only way to message them on dumb phone which I find funny in a way as my 77 year old mother uses smart phone tablet & laptop

Paul Troy

What's wrong with "mysms" ? Works and syncs across phone , tablet and windows pc

Rob

It only restores your last 1000 messages

ConCal

I want to send RCS on my chromebook, PC and android phone.

Sean

I can do this on my Chromebook now using Hangouts.....Im on Project Fi.

balcobomber25

Hopefully that day is never. When I am on my Chromebook, it's to get away from my smartphone lol.

Alijah Simon

This basic feature has been available on iOS and macOS since iOS 8. iMessage since iOS 5. Maybe Google should start hiring people based on merit and qualifications rather than skin tone and genitalia quotas so that they can focus on quality.

blakew595

Would you rather be fired because your name is Sam Sung

JG

I wonder why they are opting to create a whole new system, that will (presumably) only work on one device, for this.

Have the phone push new messages through Hangouts. Shouldn't be too hard to add a new SMS flag (they had one before) so messages destined to be sent via SMS end up getting synced back to the phone.

Then, I could text from just about any device. My tablet and watch both have the Hangouts app installed on them, and my desktop has the Hangouts Chrome extension. I could log into the Hangouts website from any computer.

If someone didn't want to make use of it - for privacy reasons or whatever, then they just simply don't grant the phone's Hangouts app SMS permission. If it can't get the messages, it can't sync them and they stay exclusively on the phone.

I don't get all the fuss over SMS in the US, in my country almost nobody uses SMS, people use WhatsApp almost exclusively..

Alex De La Rosa

Only a small fraction of people use WhatsApp. In here iMessage, FB messenger, Snapchat, and SMS are the main sources of messaging

FecFecFec

Two out of three apps that you mentioned don't use SMS. Whatsapp and Facebook messenger have a similar user base (more than 1 billion users per day). SMS is crap (in my experience) it should burn in hell.

JD_26

Came to the comments to upvote this ..

EowynCarter

No tanks.
I don't want an iMessage thingy, unless it's a standard everyone uses.
That's where the problem is. What's needed is something that will work out of the box, no matter what your phone brand is, or operator.

EarlyMon

If only there was some simple, ubiquitous protocol that was platform-agnostic and supported by countless clients so that everyone could jabber away with each other.

Flint_PS

I for one quite enjoy the fact that the SMS messages I send and receive do not get synchronized and archived in the cloud. Why on earth would I like stuff like bank operation codes to be sent via the internet?

Rich Bordoni

I'm inclined to agree with your logic but then again the cynic in me thinks that SMS messages are probably less secure being handled by your service provider... Well, I guess it depends on how compromised you think they are by the NSA.

Flint_PS

They might be less "private" in terms of government access, but - I think - they are way more secure against malware and MITM attacks.

Riley Dumont

Ehhhhhh, a hacker can pretty easily spoof your number and get any sms that is sent to you. Sms is not secure by any means.

Carriers are also pretty irresponsible too, if someone can get some info about you online and they can pretend to be you with enough confidence, they can pretty easily convince a carrier to give them a sim card of your number. This has happened to the tech channel LinusTechTips before.

pn0

iMessage - proprietary, limited to a single platform, which effectively just makes it just another SMS app - is certainly not a good example of something to achieve, but rather something to avoid.

SMS is just another messaging protocol, though it is a last resort, insecure protocol. I can send and receive SMS, WhatsApp, Signal, and Facebook messages on every device I own, no matter the platform. Tell me again what iMessage excels at? Apple messages? Please.

blakew595

Because imessage is the standard, you have to convince your friends to download WhatsApp and Facebook messenger
With imessage you send it and everyone gets it

pn0

iMessage beyond the SMS is, by definition, not the standard. It's non-standard, proprietary, and limited. You don't have to convince people to download iMessage ... because most people can't. ;)

What you mean is "SMS is the standard". iMessage is, effectively, just another SMS client. Everyone has SMS clients. Almost everyone has Facebook (far FAR more than iMessage users). Signal users outnumber iMessage users by alot... and that does SMS as well (if you really really see that as a feature), but is non-proprietary, cross-platform, etc.

So, I send with Facebook... everyone gets it. I send with any SMS client... and everyone gets it.

iMessage is an SMS app. Like any other SMS app... and there are many to choose from.

pn0

It's *a* standard, but only on the Apple platform. If Apple wants it to become a standard with real traction, they will have to implement it on more than just its platform.

Whatsapp adopted the signal protocol (rapidly become *the* standard) and is the most widely deployed messaging protocol on the planet. So, if you want to rank messaging protocols, it would look something like this...

So, instead of Google giving the people what they want (SMS support in Allo), they give the people what no-one wants (SMS on Chromebooks)?

Kden

RXG9

Allo should have had SMS fallback on it's launch date.

AAred Kross

If anyone wants to get the android equivalent of iMessage working, you might wanna try Join. It's like PushBullet but without a recurring fee. I've been using it for a few days and I'm really surprised with all of its features, especially how it integrates with Windows 10's notification center. Unfortunately it's not free but I think anyone who tries it will be impressed.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joaomgcd.join&hl=en

Dan

Is PushBullet Pro worth it? I know it's a point of contention around here, but I've been thinking about getting it recently.

Jamin

Pushbullet delivers that across all devices and works great.

Rob

Wonder if it will use Google Play Services on the Android end (I suppose it will, or Android Messages perhaps). Hopefully this also means backup of sms (finally)

psiclone

It's called MightyText. It already works.

tabguy2

I do it now on my Chromebook Plus. But, then again, I use Google Voice for messaging.